Once again, it is my pleasure to provide you with the ...
39
Transcript of Once again, it is my pleasure to provide you with the ...
September 8, 2009
Honorable John D. Kirihara, Presiding Superior Court Judge
Brian L. McCabe, Asst. Presiding Superior Court Judge
Carol Ash, Superior Court Judge
Frank Dougherty, Superior Court Judge
Hugh M. Flanagan, Superior Court Judge
Marc A. Garica, Superior Court Judge
Ronald W. Hansen, Superior Court Judge
Donald J. Proietti, Superior Court Judge
Once again, it is my pleasure to provide you with the Probation Department’s Annual Report.
As has been the case for the past 3 years, the Department continues to promote and develop a strong
Community Corrections model, the heart of which is public safety.
In the Juvenile Division, we have continued to develop the Bear Creek Academy as an alternative to
group home, ranch and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) placements. Specifically, Group Home
Placements have gone from 49 in 2003/04 to 24 this year. Ranch placements have gone from 23 in
2003/04 to zero this year and DJJ placements have gone from 64 in 2003/04 to 11 this year.
The Juvenile Division has moved toward alternatives to incarceration, such as Home Supervision,
Electronic Monitoring, GPS, Work Programs (Graffiti Abatement); all of which has kept the population at
the Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex within manageable levels. Currently there are approximately
75 juveniles on some from of alternative to incarceration.
Over the period 2003/04 to the present the number of juveniles being supervised by a probation officer
has increased by 100+.
With the passage of SB 81, this year all non-violent juvenile offenders who were previously committed to
the State Department of Juvenile Justice now must be the responsibility of local probation departments.
Merced County previously housed up to 90 of these wards in the DJJ. With this shift in responsibility, the
State provided counties some block grant funding. The Department used this funding to contract for a
Adult Day reporting Center and also developed a long term treatment program at the Juvenile Justice
Correctional Complex to house these wards.
While the State Block Grant funding covers some of the cost incurred to the Department, by this transfer
of responsibility, not all costs have been covered.
Brian L. Cooley
Chief Probation Officer
PROBATION DEPARTMENT
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
That being said, the Department has done a good job of utilizing the JJCC as a local treatment option
thus relying less on out of county placements such as group homes, camps, and DJJ.
In addition to these efforts, the Department has used a Community Corrections option to handle offend-
ers on Electronic Monitoring, GPS and Home Supervision versus incarceration.
In the Adult Division, supervision of probationers has increased dramatically over the last five years. The
caseload of Adult felony probationers who are not directly supervised by a probation officer has grown
from 1950 in June of 2006 to 2110 by June of this year. The Department has moved toward intensive
supervision for those offenders in the medium risk category where research indicates we can have the
greatest positive impact. The overall adult supervision caseload has increased from 3114 in 2003/04 to
3719 in 2007/08, which represents an overall increase of 19.5%.
The Probation Department has worked very hard this year to hold offenders accountable, thus enhancing
public safety.
Additionally, the Department has moved increasingly toward the use of evidence based practices which
has shown very positive results in keeping offenders successful on Probation, reducing recidivism.
Sincerely,
Brian L. Cooley
Chief Probation Officer
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
MISSION STATEMENT
We administer corrective services that hold offenders accountable for
their behavior, and provide rehabilitative services in order to
strengthen and protect our community.
Brian L. Cooley
Chief Probation Officer
Jeff Kettering
Assistant Chief
Chris Bobbitt
Assistant Chief
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
District 1: John Pedrozo, Chairperson
District 2: Kathleen Crookham
District 3: Mike Nelson
District 4: Deidre Kelsey
District 5: Jerry O’Banion
COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER Demitrios Tatum
SUPERIOR COURT Honorable Carol Ash
Honorable Frank Dougherty
Honorable Hugh M. Flanagan
Honorable Ronald Hansen
Honorable John D. Kirihara
Honorable Brian L. McCabe
Honorable Donald J. Proietti
COMMISSIONERS Thomas S. Burr—Juvenile Court
Ralph J. Cook—Superior Court
Gerald W. Corman—Family Law Court
Harry Jacobs—Superior Court
Juvenile Justice
Delinquency Prevention Commission
Chairperson: Shirley Olson (Livingston/Delhi)
Vice Chairperson: Eve Snelling (Merced)
MEMBERS
Janice Rogge (Livingston)
Tony Slaton (Merced)
Kathy Garibay (Dos Palos)
Luwanda Perry (Atwater)
YOUTH COMMISSIONERS
Alejandra Bustos-Guzman (Merced)
Brian L. Cooley
Chief Probation
Officer
Jeff Kettering
Assistant Chief
Iris Garrett Juvenile
Justice Complex
Chris Bobbitt
Assistant Chief
Probation Services
Pat Highlander
Division Director
Admin Services
Sarah Jimenez,
SSA
(8 Support Staff)
Jan Morse, SSA
(7 Support Staff)
Tina Anderson
Program Manager
Juvenile Services
James Bucknell
Division Director
Heidi Porter
Program Manager
Commitment Programs
Lisa Maples
Program Manager
Detention Program
Chris Henn, SPO
(7 DPO’s)
John Sheppard,
SJIO
(9 JIO’s)
Mary Straughter-
Eguia, SJIO
(9 JIO’s)
Robert Jenkins
SJIO
(8 JIO’s)
Martha Flores,
SJIO
(8 JIO’s)
Patricia Reynozo,
SJIO
(5 JIO’s & 5 SSO’s)
Staff) Elsa Castanon,
SJIO (6 JIO’s & Extra Help)
Michael Parker,
SPO
Juvenile Court
Cindy Spencer,
SPO
(6 DPO’s)
Lori Minor, SPO
(7 DPO’s)
Joe Frontella
Program Manager
Adult Services
Rosa Ramirez,
SPO
(7 DPO’s)
Zach Robertson,
SPO
(7 DPO’s)
Jason Struble,
SPO
(7 DPO’s)
Robin Huff, SPO
(7 DPO’s)
Pam McClain,
SPO
(7 DPO’s)
Program Manager Tina Anderson heads the Juvenile Services
Division. Juvenile services is composed of intake, investigations,
placement, supervision, special services and court services.
Juvenile services is made up of several units including:
Juvenile Intake and Investigations is under Supervising Probation
Officer Pam McClain. Intake officers perform the mandated function
of processing all juveniles arrested by law enforcement and referred
to Probation.;
The Placement Team Supervising Probation Officer is Lori Minor.
Placement officers provide supervision to a diverse caseload
requiring out of home placement services;
Special Programs are under the supervision of Cindy Spencer.
Special programs include the Day Reporting Center, Electronic
Monitoring Program and Gang Risk Intervention Program;
Supervising Probation Officer Chris Henn provides support and
direction to officers assigned to various high schools within Merced
County;
and, Supervising Probation Officer Michael Parker provides all
Juvenile Court and Traffic Hearing services.
Intake and Investigations
Officers assigned to the Intake and Investigations Unit prepare dispositional reports, interview families and offenders, and make recommendations to the court based on their findings. Intake Officers are assigned to both the Merced and Los Banos offices. This chart represents the total number of petitions filed and total referrals received. Traffic violations are excluded from this count.
Informal probation counts
have continued to increase
from FY 05/06.
268295
271291
332
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Informal Probation
Petitions and Referrals
774 819 727967 1132
3346 3483
2951 2997
3814
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Initial Petitions Total Referrals
Referral Source
498
2669
34
228
304
2
355 382
1503
211 202
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Atw
ate
r P
D
CH
P
Dos P
alo
s P
D
Gustin
e P
D
Liv
ingsto
n P
D
Los B
anos P
D
Merc
ed C
ounty
DA
Merc
ed C
ounty
Pro
batio
n
Merc
ed C
ounty
Sheriff
Merc
ed P
D
Oth
er
Agencie
s
No R
eport
ing A
gency
**The ‘No Reporting Agency’ column includes internal probation referrals without agency reports, including violations and
modifications of probation.
Juvenile Court Activity
Commissioner Thomas Burr
presides over all juvenile court
cases.
Cases are heard at the Juvenile
Justice Correctional Complex.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Dispositional Hearings
Detention Hearings
Ex-Parte Hearings
Contested Hearings
Dismissals
FY 2007/2008
5,433 Dispositional hearings
781 Detention Hearings
625 Ex-Parte Hearing
113 Contested Hearings
258 Dismissals
Traffic Activity Summary
Did you know?
Juvenile traffic
hearings are held in
both the Merced and
Los Banos offices.
Fine amounts for FY
07/08 totaled $111,000
Males totaled 77% of
all traffic referrals
received.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Traffic Activity Disposition Summary
Stop Notices License Restricted License Suspended
Alcohol School Traffic School Deficiency Corrections
2670
2111
19561687
1369
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
County-Wide Juvenile Traffic Referrals
Fiscal Year 2007/2008
47 Stop Notices
1 License Restricted
33 License Suspended
125 Alcohol School
134 Traffic School
0 Deficiency Corrections
Ju
ven
ile T
raff
ic R
efe
rrals
Calif
orn
ia
Hig
hw
ay
Patr
ol
31%
Dos P
alo
s P
D
3%
Atw
ate
r P
D
10%
Liv
ing
sto
n P
D
5%
Gustine P
D
1%L
os B
anos P
D
14%
Merc
ed
Sheri
ff
7%
Merc
ed
PD
25%
Oth
er
4%
Supervision
Supervision of juveniles on probation is a key component to the success of the
juvenile and the department. The overall juvenile caseload has slightly increased 6%
from 926 in 2006/07 to 984 in 2007/08. Supervision caseloads are broken down into
6 different groups.
REGULAR SUPERVISION: This category includes caseloads that are assigned to
the Bear Creek Academy, Human Services Agency, Valley School Gang program,
and a banked caseload.
PLACEMENT: Juveniles court ordered into placement are assigned to the
Placement team for supervision and monitoring.
GRAD: The Giving Responsibility to Adolescents to Develop Success Program
assigns probation officers to each high school in the County.
GRIP: The Gang Risk Intervention Program provides supervision to at risk
juveniles to help reduce gang membership.
3015: Juveniles with mental health issues are assigned to this caseload.
MIOCR: The Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction grant supports locally
developed efforts to reduce recidivism and promote long-term stability among
mentally ill offenders.
891
934963
926
984
800
850
900
950
1000
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Juvenile Supervision
Juvenile Supervision
Fiscal Year 2007/08
429 (44%)
25 (3%)470 (47%)
23 (2%)17 (2%)
20 (2%)
Regular Supervision Placement GRAD GRIP 3015 MIOCR
Placement Activities
Did you know?
Placement officers
logged a total of
24,816 miles meeting
with minors in over 20
group homes
Average case load
size per placement of-
ficer is 9.
Out-of-home placement is sought when all other local treatment resources have been exhausted, there is
no parent/guardian available to care for the minor, and/or the minor is not appropriate for commitment to
the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Division of Juvenile Justice.
During this past calendar year the Juvenile Court ordered twenty-four minors to suitable out-of-home
placement. These wards were placed in private foster homes, group homes and treatment facilities
throughout the State of California. The need for out-of-home placements has somewhat declined in Merced
County, due to the creation of Bear Creek Academy programs within the Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice
Correctional Complex. This decline in numbers has allowed the placement officers to more adequately
supervise these very dynamic, multi-faceted caseloads, resulting in more meaningful outcomes.
The Department continues to selectively place minors, who have been ordered temporarily removed from
their parents’ custody, in facilities suitable to their treatment needs and maturity levels. State regulations
require minors ordered into suitable placement be visited and interviewed by representatives from placing
agencies on at least a monthly basis. These visits are made to ensure treatment programs are appropriate
to the needs of the minors placed and the facilities and programs are maintained in accordance with
department expectations and state-regulated treatment standards. Processing state-mandated paperwork,
performing monthly visitations, making contact with families and placement facility staff, and returning
placement failures to custody are among the responsibilities of the Department’s two placement officers.
The assigned placement officers are also responsible for intake, supplemental reports and reviews of those
cases they supervise.
4945
39
30
2423
5
116
0
6460
43
21
11
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Private Placement
County Camp
Placement
CDCR - Division of
Juvenile Justice
The Giving Responsibility to Adolescents to Develop Success (GRADS) Program assigns probation officers to each high school in the County. By dedicating an officer to each high school we effect better supervision of juveniles, intercede in the lives of at-risk juveniles, partner with the schools and provide support through knowledge of that particular high school’s needs and strengths.
The probation officer in each high school also partners with local law enforcement and becomes an active participant in the community. The program achieves County-wide probation supervision of probationers and wards who attend regular schools by partnering with the schools to provide appropriate and consistent services to the juveniles and their families. Seven probation officers are assigned to various high schools throughout the County to work extensively with probationers and wards who attend each campus and their affiliate “feeder” schools.
A probation assistant carries out supportive casework duties at the Day Reporting Center which is maintained for administrative use as an alternative to custody, suspensions and independent study, so that youngsters continue in their studies and do not have an excess of unstructured free time.
Any probationer or ward who is attending regular school is assigned to a caseload for supervision. The probation officers monitor performance and progress and partner with the schools of attendance to enhance the likelihood of each minor’s success, increasing attendance, academic performance and involvement in extracurricular activities. Information sharing is maintained on a daily basis since the officers are assigned to specific schools; and, where possible, are housed therein. In keeping with the “One Stop Shop” concept, the officer’s presence on campus also allows for earlier interventions in the lives of students who have not yet been formally referred to the justice system.
By maintaining a place in the community, the officers are able to partner with local law enforcement and take part in local activities as well as share information and effort with local resources. That too is done on a regular basis since the officers are readily available to those agencies and community organizations. By sharing information and activities, we believe probation and law enforcement are effecting safer schools and dealing more effectively with gang activity.
GRADS
Caseloads as of
June 30th
0
50
100
150
200
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Dos Palos
Merced
Atw ater & Delhi
Los Banos
33 =
182 =
115 =
140 =
G.R.I.P.
Gang
Risk
Intervention
Program
GOALS
Reduce gang membership
Reduce juvenile crime and delinquency
Reduce unexcused absences
Reduce substance abuse
Reduce drop out rate
Provide weekly counseling and intervention
Provide positive sports and cultural activities
Positive interaction with law enforcement
Job training (Work Learning Academy)
2523
35
23
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Caseloads as of June 30th
Assembly Bill 3015
In 1997, Merced County Department of Mental Health allocated funding to provide a probation officer position to supervise a caseload of juvenile probationers who were also receiving mental health treatment. This position works in tandem with the Partnership for Adolescent Success deputy. The probation officer assigned to this program is located at Department of Mental Health, allowing for coordinated efforts in treatment of high risk minors.
The chart below depicts program caseloads as of June 30th.
29
24
32
22
20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
MIOCR
The Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) grant program, established through enactment of AB 1811 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2006), supports locally developed efforts to reduce recidivism and promote long-term stability among mentally ill offenders. As the administering agency, the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) awarded $22,295,500 for grants targeting adult mentally ill offenders and $22,295,500 for grants targeting juvenile mentally ill offenders.
Eligibility for the MIOCR program indicates that juveniles must be defined by the Mental Health Department as Seriously Emotionally Disturbed (SED). Funding is used for a collaborative approach called Success Through Assessment and Treatment (STAT). STAT addresses the need for mental health and juvenile justice systems collaboration, improvement in identifying mental illness among youth in the juvenile justice system, more opportunities for diversion into community-based mental health treatment, and effective mental health treatment within the juvenile justice system. STAT targets four of the critical intervention points: intake, detention, judicial processing and dispositional alternatives. STAT begins at the time of booking into the Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex or the filing of a detention petition, whether on a new charge or a probation violation. This program will provide a continuum of assessment, treatment, diversion, and aftercare and offer a specialized mental health caseload within the Court system.
STAT consists of: a) Mental Health Screening and Assessment
b) Evidence-Based Practices
Did you know?
National and statewide
statistics suggest up to
20% of juveniles who
commit crimes are seri-
ously mentally ill.
Merced County has his-
torically had a higher
arrest rate than the
state as a whole.
14 juveniles were assigned as of 6/30/08.
Probation has two officer’s dedicated to managing a MIOCR
caseload.
Due to the California state budget crisis the MIOCR grant was not
renewed for Fiscal Year 08/09.
Youth Accountability Board
In 1995 a group of local citizens wanted to volunteer their time and energy to make an
impact on the soaring juvenile crime rate. It was their hope by intervening in the lives of
first-time offenders they might hold the minors accountable for their illegal behavior and
offer support to their parents/guardians, thereby strengthening the family and community.
Panels meet monthly, hearing several cases at each meeting. The YAB membership
meets every month for information sharing and procedural updates.
Fiscal Year 2007/2008
To Intake
29%
Failures
10%
Successes
61%
Did you know?
A total of 292 juveniles
were referred to YAB.
A total of 1,525 hours
were volunteers by
members of the YAB.
YAB Board Members
David Acosta
Angelita Aguallo
Glen Arnold
Nancy Arnold
Ramon Avila
Janice Baffunno
David Baker
Albert Baptista
Misty Baptista
Barbara Bianes
Velma Bisordi
Lance Brewster
Bill Camp
Marijane Camp
Alicia Castaneda
Chris Castaneda
Carolyn Castillo
Lynn Collins
Joie Cravalho
Flora Cromwell
Dot Dame
Gardner (Chuck) Dame
Monte Davenport
Renee Davenport
Lisa Davidson
Gary Dusin
Dulcia Erlene Elam
Cindy Enriquez
Cupie Freel
Linda Galbraith
Charlie Galatro
Ruth Gallagher
Don Goin
Marie Gonzales
Elizabeth Guerrero
Bob Harmon
Bob Hobbs
Cookie Ivy
Herb Jamero
Luna Jamero
Irma Janzen
Ceclia Jimenez
Martha Kelly
Hal Lagmay
Jason Langan
Michael Larson
Patricia Leisman
Judy Leufgen
Ken Leufgen
Edna Mason
Bob Matthews
Marge McFadden
Bert Mello
Bernard Miller
Cynthia Montoya
Max Muralt
Al Mueller
Jackeline Mueller
Flora Navarro
Jim Newhoff
Rebecca Ortiz
Gene Post
Barney Rivera
Esther Rodriguez
Margaret Rosson
Marlese Roton
Michelle Salm
Harriet Schott
Shirley Smith
Stefanie Smothers
Geri Stewart
Barbara Teekell
Gloria Torres
Carmen Uribe
Adrianus (Van) Vanderzyde
Nellie Venegas
Parent Accountability Board
In May of 2000, the Probation Department began a program designed to include parents in the rehabilitation of their delinquent children. All of the parents referred to this program are the parents of children in placements.
This program is an attempt by the Probation Department, the Juvenile Court, the District Attorney’s office and volunteers from the community to address the parents’ needs and respon-sibilities.
The primary purpose of the Parent Accountability Board (PAB) is to provide assistance and guidelines to parents of wards who are in placement. These guidelines are provided in the form of orders of the Court which are given at the time the child is removed from the parents’ home. Parents are also directed to appear before the Parent Accountability Board which reviews and reinforces the orders of the Court. Difficulties are discussed and the Board assists the parents in assessing and correcting problems which lend to the child’s out-of-home placement. After the child returns home, the PAB continues to work with the family in conjunction with the assigned Probation Officer to ensure that counseling and school atten-dance are maintained and that the parents are providing appropriate care and supervision to the child.
Each parent is scheduled for a review before the Juvenile Court at which time the Parent Accountability Board provides a written report to the Court regarding the parents’ cooperation and progress. Parents who refuse to cooperate or who, by their actions, actually contribute to their child’s failure are referred to the District Attorney’s office for possible charges. Those charges could be civil or criminal in nature.
There are currently two (2) PAB panels operating; 1 in Merced and 1 in Winton. The panels meet a total of three times per month.
PAB Volunteers
Nancy Arnold
Cupie Freel
Randy Heller
PAB Volunteers
12
8
0
0
1
36
Referred to District Attorney
Rescinded/Closed by Court
Referred to Boot Camp
Referred to CDCR-DJJ
Transferred to Other Counties
Cases Assigned
Home Supervision
Merced County's Home Supervision Program was initiated in April of 1978 in com-pliance with the mandates of Chapter 1071 of the Statutes of 1976 (AB 3121) which requires a Home Supervision Program in every county. Welfare and Institutions Code Section 628.1 provides that the probation officer shall release any minor who meets the criteria for continued detention to a Home Supervision Program pending his/her court hearing if the probation officer believes that 24-hour secure detention is unnecessary to protect the minor or the person or prop-erty of another or to ensure the minor's court appearance. Home supervision du-ties are currently the primary responsibility of one probation officer who is also re-sponsible for two additional programs for which they monitor minors. Most mi-nors on Home Supervision are electronically monitored.
Activity Summary
45
615
36
442
40
343
38
383
28
360
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Violations
Total Referrals
Juvenile Work Program
The Juvenile Work Program, for juvenile law violators, was initiated in January of 1976, with the passage of a resolution by the Board of Supervisors extending Workers' Compensation coverage to wards assigned to the Program. Workers' Compensation coverage was subsequently expanded to include juvenile traffic violators, informal probationers (including conditional dismissals) and six (6) month court probationers. Minors, in appropriate cases, are assigned to the Program as a condition of probation or dismissal, in lieu of court-ordered commitments to JJCC, traffic fines, or other dispositional alternatives. In some cases, this program is used in conjunction with these other dispositional alternatives.
In October of 1984, management of the program on the east side of the county (Merced and Atwater) was assumed by JJCC staff. Management of the program on the west side of the county remains the responsibility of the Los Banos branch office probation staff. Staff responsibility includes obtaining performance evaluations, briefing and instructing assignees and their parents regarding the program, and maintaining liaison with the public agencies which provide suitable work sites for juveniles assigned to the work program in Merced, Atwater, Los Banos, Dos Palos and Gustine. Direct field supervision of minors assigned to the program is provided by JJCC extra-help employees on weekends during the school year and, during the summer months, by both JJCC extra-help employees and personnel from the public agencies to which the minors are assigned for weekday work. There has been a decline in the number of referrals and days worked for fiscal year 2007/08. This is due to shortness in staff in the Los Banos and Merced areas.
435
1362
334
1037
252
602
301
650
208
603
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Referrals
Days Worked
Division Director James Bucknell heads the Iris Garrett
Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex operations. The
current facility opened in 2004.
The Correctional Complex has two components, each
managed by a Program Manager.
Program Manager Heidi Szakala-Porter heads the Bear
Creek Academy. The Bear Creek Academy houses
juveniles committed to the custody of the Probation
Department by the courts. The program was developed
to assist youth in improving their behavior by changing
how they think about real life situations. Within this
program there are three levels to which participants can
be sentenced.
Program Manager Lisa Maples heads Juvenile Detention.
The detention program is for youth recently booked and
waiting for court; those who have been sentenced to
placement and waiting for private or Department of Juvenile
Justice confirmation; or those juvenile probationer’s removed
from a dangerous or unstable home situation waiting for
placement in a suitable home.
Bear Creek Academy
Mission: The Bear Creek Academy Short Term Program seeks to make positive changes in how youth committed to the
program by the Juvenile Court think and behave in order to prepare them to return to their families, their community and
live a delinquent free life.
Philosophy: The Bear Creek Academy Short Term Program exposes the youth to resources and positive influences
within a structured environment that will help the participants to adopt a better life style through making better choices
once they are back in the community.
Within the program are three levels allowing the minors to earn points through participation in program elements, access
to counseling, and their in-custody behavior and effort shown.
The Bear Creek Academy long term program has been developed to work with at risk youth that have great potential to
be productive citizens in the community. The Academy is structured into five phases over a period of one year. For
youth to successfully complete the program, he/she must earn a required number of points to pass each phase. Points
received are based on an evaluation system, rating the youth’s participating in the academy elements with an
opportunity to earn 50 points per day.
Average length of
stay—33 days
Average daily
population—50
108
26
284
51
447
77
0
100
200
300
400
500
05/06 06/07 07/08
Bear Creek Academy Admissions
Males
Females
Program Parameters:
1. None younger than 13
years of age and none
older than 18 years of age.
2. No medical condition
precluding participation in
the program
3. No clinically diagnosed
mental illness
4. Can only enter the
program through a court
disposition.
Grand Theft/Theft
1%
Robbery
1%
Assault w ith a Deadly
Weapon
4%
Assault/Battery
11% Possession of
Weapons/Brandishing
2%
Burglary
7%
Traffic Violations
2%
Dangerous
Drugs/Narcotics
1%
Marijuana
1%
Violation of Probation
42%
All other Reasons
28%
Reason for Detention
FY 2007/2008
Detention Program
Minors in the detention program fit within two basic categories: those awaiting court action and those
awaiting placement. Minors booked on a variety of charges and are pending court disposition. Minors
may also be waiting for placement in one of several areas. The court has deemed these youth would
benefit from placement either in a private placement program, with the Department of Juvenile Justice for
a specified period of time, or are juvenile probationers waiting to be placed with a family member or family
friend due to removal from a dangerous or unstable home situation.
During their detention at the facility these minors are required to participate in the education program
located at the Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex and are afforded opportunities for counseling and
treatment for such things as alcohol and drug use, mental health counseling, etc.
Average length of stay—12 days
Average daily population—41 minors
Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex - Admissions
11481253
1120 10791015
276 289 278 301245
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Males
Females
Program Manager Joe Frontella heads the Adult Services Division of
Probation. Adult Services is made up of several units including:
Adult Intake and Court Services under Supervising Probation Officer
Zach Robertson
Supervision of High and Low Risk Offenders under Supervising
Probation Officer Rosa Ramirez;
Supervision of Medium Risk Offenders under Supervising Probation
Officer Jason Struble
and Los Banos/Westside under Supervising Probation Officer Robin
Huff.
Pre-Trial Services
There is one Deputy Probation Officer in this assignment. This position prepares bail and
“own recognizance” reports to the court as well as coordinates all the Community Service for
adults. The officer prepares abbreviated pre-sentence and restitution reports on
misdemeanor offenses. This position is housed at the Adult Office at 602 W. 20th Street and
is assigned to the Adult
Court Unit.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Bail Review Reports
Community Service
Restitution Reports
Sentencing Reports
Supervised
Monitoring
Intake and Investigations
This chart represents the Superior Court Disposition of cases referred to the probation department
over the last five years. It includes the total number of court dispositions, the total number of
defendants granted probation, those defendants denied probation and those whose proceedings
were suspended. You will note relatively stable numbers of court referrals and probation granted
during this period. There was a marked increase between 03/04 and succeeding years.
0
1000
2000
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Court ReferralsProbation GrantedProbation DeniedProceedings Suspended
Fiscal Year 2007/2008
2,418 bail review reports completed
1,794 clients referred to community
service
425 restitution reports completed;
N0 sentencing reports completed
335 individuals referred for supervised
monitoring.
Fiscal Year 2007/2008
1,550 court referrals received
1,220 court referrals granted probation
448 cases were denied probation
6 proceedings were suspended
Supervision
The adult services division supervision of probationers has increased dramatically over the last
five years. The caseload of probationers not directly supervised by a probation officer has grown
from 1950 in June of 2006 to 2110 by June of this year. The department has moved toward
intensive supervision for those in the medium risk category where research shows we can have
the greatest positive impact. The overall adult supervision caseload has increased from 3,114 in
2003/04 to 3,719 in 2007/2008, an increase of 19.5%.
Statistics for Courtesy Supervision for other jurisdictions and Interstate Compact supervision for
probationers transferred into our county are shown below.
COURTESY SUPERVISIONS
FY 2007/08
Requests, 153
Accepted, 23
Denied, 89
Terminations, 13Expirations, 12
INTERSTATE COMPACT
FY 2007/08
Requests, 10
Accepted, 4
Denied, 1
Expirations, 0Terminated, 1
AD
UL
T S
UP
ER
VIS
ION
FY
2007/2
008
217,
6%
36,
1%
2110,
57%
1356,
36%
Regula
r S
uperv
isio
nB
anke
d C
aselo
ad
Fam
ily V
iole
nce
Pro
p 3
6
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
STRENGTHEN & ALTER FAMILY ENVIRONMENTS (SAFE)
The S.A.F.E. (Strengthen and Alter Family Environments) Program was implemented August 1,
2000. A probation officer was assigned to the caseload full time on October 1, 2000. The
caseload was comprised initially of 26 cases, had 11 probationers who did not reside with the
family and there were 40 children involved.
The probationers and families are assigned to this caseload until their probation obligation has
been fulfilled for no less than three years. Completions come slowly as the probationer and family
work through all the issues involved and participate in required counseling and classes. Required
to meet with the probationers once a week, twice at home during the month, once at the office and
once by phone, there is intense supervision. The officer is also required to meet with the victims
once per month, whether or not they are living with the probationer. Victims are referred to any
and all services needed and probationers are assisted in obtaining a job.
S.A.F.E. Program
36
31
54
39
36
6
6
9
9
2
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
Case count June 30th Successful Completions
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
PROPOSITION 36
The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, also known as Proposition 36, was passed
by 61% of California voters on November 7, 2000. This vote permanently changed state law to
allow first- and second-time nonviolent, simple drug possession offenders the opportunity to
receive substance abuse treatment instead of incarceration. Proposition 36 went into effect on
July 1, 2001.
DRUG COURT
Drug treatment courts
were developed in
Florida in the early
1990s as an alternative
to traditional criminal
justice prosecution for
drug-related offenses.
C o m b i n i n g c l o s e
supervision of the judi-
cial process with resources available through alcohol and drug treatment services, the two
goals are to reduce recidivism of drug-related offenses and to create options within the
criminal justice system that tailor effective and appropriate responses for offenders with drug
problems. Adult drug courts provide access to treatment for substance-abusing offenders in
criminal, dependency, and family courts while minimizing the use of incarceration. They
provide a structure for linking supervision and treatment with ongoing judicial oversight and
team management. The majority of drug courts include initial intensive treatment services with
ongoing monitoring and continuing care for a year or more.
In his keynote address at the San Francisco Drug Court graduation ceremony on December
17, 2002, Chief Justice Ronald M. George said, "Drug courts are a great example of what real
collaboration in the justice system can accomplish. These unique courts are an effective way
for trial courts and other justice system agencies to work together to reduce drug-related
offenses, improve lives, and protect communities."
309
24
185
57
301
68
274
56
217
48
0
100
200
300
400
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Proposition 36 and Drug Court
Prop 36 Adult Drug Court
Operational Services
Assists Executive and operational staff
Prepares and manages the department
budget
Manages facilities and infrastructure needs
as necessary
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Contract and MOU processing
Grant management
Training Oversight
Human Resources / Risk Management
Pat Highlander, Division Director
Jan Morse, Staff Services Analyst
Sarah Jimenez, Staff Services Analyst
$16,191,392
$5,299,012
$-
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
$14,000,000
$16,000,000
$18,000,000
Expenditures Revenue
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Pro
ba
tio
n R
ev
en
ue
Fis
ca
l Y
ea
r 2
00
7/2
00
8
Pro
po
sit
ion
17
2
5%
Re
alig
nm
en
t
3%
Na
tio
na
l S
ch
oo
l L
un
ch
1%
Fe
es
2%
Ge
ne
ral F
un
d
69
%
Pro
gra
m F
un
ds
2%
JJ
CC
/Ca
mp
Re
imb
urs
em
en
ts
2%
JJ
CP
A
0%
SB
93
3-G
rou
p H
om
e
Vis
its
0%
Tit
le IV
-E
9%
JP
CF
4%
MIO
CR
2%
ST
C
1%
Oth
er
0%
2007 Gang Summit, Glock Armorer’s Course,
Pedophiles & Sexual Abuse, Public Sector Budget
Preparation & Analysis, Static 99, etc.
The following courses
are required for each
officer to complete in
their first year: core,
PC 832, eight hours
each in verbal
communication skills
training, basic
defensive tactics
course and chemical
agents/OC training. Deputy Probation Officers
generally have in excess of 200 hours of training in
their first year of employment. Juvenile Institutions
Officers generally have in excess of 180 hours of
training in their first year of employment.
Several criteria are considered when developing
training for staff members: their current assign-
ment and any specialized training they may need
to be effective in their assignment; updating
perishable skills; annually required training; and,
any special requests by either the staff member or
their supervisor to address specific needs.
Perishable skills are those skills where regular
training is needed to ensure minimum levels of
proficiency on
skills needed
regularly; or that
will potentially be
needed regularly.
Examples of
courses meeting
these needs are
CPR/First Aid, Firearms Training/Qualification,
Weaponless Defense/OC Update, Unarmed
Survival Tactics, etc.
Other classes address changes that occur
regularly such as Adult Law Update and Juvenile
Law Update, both of
which are held
annually.
Some examples of
courses specific to
assignment and/or
needs were:
Teaching Pro-Social Skills, Hostage Survival,
Points of Interest
11,600 training hours were
completed by staff during
this fiscal year
12 staff completed Probation
Officer core courses
10 staff completed Juvenile
Institutions Officer core
courses
Staff attended a total of 162
courses during the year
Pat Highlander, Administrative Division
Director, earned the Central Region
Employee of the Year for 2007. This
award is given by the Chief Probation
Officer’s of California annually.
Victoria Vega, Deputy Probation
Officer, accepts an award for being
an outstanding team member for
2007.
Support staff member Katie Soria,
Traffic Hearing Clerk, was selected
as the administrative outstanding
team member for 2007.
Juvenile Institutions Officer Justin
Griffin, was chosen as outstanding
team member for his services at the
Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice
Correctional Complex.
Merced County Probation Department
Administrative Services
2150 M Street, 2nd Floor
Merced, CA 95340
PHONE: (209) 385-7494
FAX: (209) 725-3999
Website: www.co.merced.ca.us/probation
